With an unprecedented five seniors in its starting lineup and a
preseason No. 3 ranking, the UCLA women’s volleyball team can
only hope the time is now to finally overcome its run of
disappointing finishes in the NCAA tournament.
UCLA coach Andy Banachowski acknowledged the situation, saying,
“It’s pretty unusual to have a group like this that has
played together for so long. We certainly feel that we have the
maturity to reach the next level.”
The women’s volleyball team has had recent success,
reaching the elite eight in four out of the past five years. But
the squad has yet to make the transition from a playoff contender
to title contender.
Now with leading hitter Brynn Murphy and All-American libero
Chrissie Zartman returning for their senior campaigns, this season
looks like UCLA’s best chance to finally meet its title
expectations.
“Our team is an extremely mature group,” fellow
senior setter Krystal McFarland said. “The seniors feel very
comfortable with each other, having played together for four
years.”
The Bruins have already benefited from their senior leadership,
starting the season by winning six of their first seven games.
So far this season, the team has already experienced highs and
lows.
While UCLA picked up a hard-fought victory over No. 15 Texas
A&M, the team also suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to
No. 11 Hawaii. Both matches took place in hostile road
environments.
“These tough tournaments have been a good test for
us,” Banachowski said.
“They’ve been very competitive matches in front of
big crowds and it will prepare us when we play teams on the road
during the conference season.”
Despite all the seniors on the team, the season still may come
down to the improvement of the team’s younger members, a
group that includes outside hitters Colby Lyman and Becky Green
along with middle blockers Nana Meriwether and Katie Carter.
Lyman and Green are both recovering from injuries they suffered
in the spring, and each has seen limited practice time with the
rest of the team.
“The injuries have not allowed us to progress as quickly
as we would have liked to,” Banachowski said. “But I
feel that the girls will work themselves back into shape and
they’ll be in midseason form quickly.”
Meriwether and Carter have been competing for the middle blocker
position left vacated by graduating senior Cira Wright.
So far, Meriwether has proven to be everything the Bruins would
have hoped for when they brought her in from Duke, earning
All-Tournament honors at the recently completed Mauna Loa Macadamia
Nut Volleyball Challenge in Hawaii.
“The change has been excellent,” Meriwether said of
her transfer.
“The chance to play on such a terrific team has been great
and I’ve just been trying to play any role the coaches have
asked of me.”
But in the end, despite any success the Bruins have had in the
preseason, the season will come down to whether the Bruins can
overcome their nemesis from across town.
USC has won the two previous NCAA titles and was the preseason
No. 1 team this year.
The Bruins, who kicked off Pac-10 play against the Washington
schools this past weekend, will first face the Trojans on Oct. 15
at USC.